Is marriage good for health?

Many people seem to shy away from the idea of ​​marriage as if it could cause them financial and physical ruin. In reality, there are many documented benefits of marriage: physical, mental, financial, and more. I wouldn’t suggest getting married just to cash in on these benefits, mind you, but engaged and married couples might be happy to learn these facts. And those who fear marriage may find it alleviates their fears.

I have a pro-marriage perspective. However, let me say at the outset that I realize that not all divorces can or should be prevented, especially if some type of abuse is taking place. My intent is to provide positive information about marriage.

For the sake of brevity, I will refer only to some of the physical benefits of marriage. I will be happy to share more details if you are interested. In other articles, I’ll share some amazing health benefits married parents bring to their kids.

For adults:

1) Married people live longer than similar people who are single or divorced, even after accounting for income, race, and background. (This is true for women, but there is an even stronger correlation for men.)

2) Married men and women have lower rates of substance abuse and alcohol use than single people, even after controlling for genetic factors and family history.

3) Married people have a much lower suicide rate than those who get divorced. Divorcing men and women are tragically twice as likely as married people to attempt suicide. Married women have lower suicide rates than divorced, widowed, or single women.

4) Married men and women are, on average, healthier than single, divorced or cohabiting people. The researchers don’t know if this is because healthier people get married or because marriage helps them stay healthier. However, they do know that, on average, married couples live healthier lifestyles, control each other’s health, and have more wealth, which likely contributes to better health. A large study of retired people showed much less disease and impairment in married people than in widowed, divorced, or cohabiting people, after controlling for age, race, and sex. One caveat here is that better quality marriages led to better health outcomes! Stress inside or outside of a marriage is never good for your health.

More information about these studies can be found in “Why Marriage Matters, Second Edition from the American Values ​​Institute.”